Serinbaal the Lands of Torment ("Dark Sun" Homebrew Pathfinder 1e)

Game Master Sebecloki

As Slavathras of the Deadlands comes to an end with his story, Amunet-Ras ears rise up (like those of a rabbit).
You would have me swear an oath with this lot of strangers, most of them who didn't even pass any test of loyalty or character before? And on heroes from Celik? Why not from Kalidnay? And what do you mean by oath name? Should we take on one of the names from your tale? Or make up our own?

I heard many tales that you are out of your mind often Slavathras, but i guess this isn't the worst idea in times like this. It replaces many tests and can build trust fast where it would need ages to grow.

She stands up on her carpet and looks each of the others in the eye.
Rokan, Jimbli, Cae, Ri'Kli'Klek, Hamza, Ehawee, Devapala, Jin En Mok, Tyren, what do you think? Are you ready to come forth and swear this oath to save Athas?

As Slavathras of the Deadlands comes to an end with his story, Amunet-Ras ears rise up (like those of a rabbit).

You would have me swear an oath with this lot of strangers, most of them who didn't even pass any test of loyalty or character before? And on heroes from Celik? Why not from Kalidnay? And what do you mean by oath name? Should we take on one of the names from your tale? Or make up our own?

I heard many tales that you are out of your mind often Slavathras, but i guess this isn't the worst idea in times like this. It replaces many tests and can build trust fast where it would need ages to grow.

She stands up on her carpet and looks each of the others in the eye.
Rokan, Jimbli, Cae, Ri'Kli'Klek, Hamza, Ehawee, Devapala, Jin En Mok, Tyren, what do you think? Are you ready to come forth and swear this oath to save Athas?

"The oath requires a new name of all, of a kind similar to those of the Champions I have named -- a suitable epithet. I myself shall take the vow with the name Mind Shadow."

"As to your other query regarding the origin of the tale's heroes would require me to finish the story, since it's course eventuates in a set of circumstances not incomparable to our own."

I'm assuming that Tyren can catch onto the deviation from established history with a "roll" of 32 in Knowledge: History? Won't change his actions, just will leave him somewhat bemused.

Tyren put a hand to his chin. Really, I have no objection to this pact whatsoever. It's never my loyalty others may question, merely my methods...But that's neither here nor there. What matters is perhaps they will trust my word if I say there's the potential to save this world, hidden among the dead. Perhaps one day they, too, will be willing to take up the task of rebuilding the afterlife. But that's neither here nor there. Finally he nodded and stood, "By all means--I'm willing to swear on this oath--I did offer my services, after all, and this is as good a way as any of establishing my genuine desire to make good on that offer. I will take the name Bone Eye."

I'm assuming that Tyren can catch onto the deviation from established history with a "roll" of 32 in Knowledge: History? Won't change his actions, just will leave him somewhat bemused.

Tyren put a hand to his chin. Really, I have no objection to this pact whatsoever. It's never my loyalty others may question, merely my methods...But that's neither here nor there. What matters is perhaps they will trust my word if I say there's the potential to save this world, hidden among the dead. Perhaps one day they, too, will be willing to take up the task of rebuilding the afterlife. But that's neither here nor there. Finally he nodded and stood, "By all means--I'm willing to swear on this oath--I did offer my services, after all, and this is as good a way as any of establishing my genuine desire to make good on that offer. I will take the name Bone Eye."

Yes, he can tell that the immediate events surrounding the 'Twelve Champions' is pretty much concocted whole cloth. The Sultana Esmeray was real, as was her father the Kakaghan, the battles with the Pharaohs of Kalidnay happened, and the Yellow Road once existed, and so forth, but there was never any real haggard messenger or an accompanying expedition to the town of Oscalgarum, etc., though the town existed in the Green Age.

Suddenly, the illumination of the lichen increases, revealing new details of the vast subterranean space, some seventy five paces in length and breadth. The large cavern consists of a rough-hewed grotto in which their appear to be ancient monoliths, and in the midst of which rises a craggy shelf of black rock.

The elf approaches a small outcropping in the ragged altar. Two elaborately, if grotesquely, carved statues frame a jagged indentation in the rock. It appears to form a sort of groove or rivulet through which liquid could run down the altar's side, into the dense bed of mint-green moss which lies beneath its shadow. The entire formation hints at a ritual purpose.

Slavathras gestures extravagantly with a single outstretched arm,

"These remnants of the ancient Kalidnayans shall serve my purpose admirably. For my part, I shall make my oath under the name of Mind Shadow, and bind it to the revered memories of the glorious ancestors of my clan, twin luminaries of the Thought Makers known as Sabeccuranus and Emmessanaa, or Shabban Bartalus and Kheatwil Quan within the wider reaches of the Tablelands. Know that the twins deeds and being have been preserved among their descendants in the inimitable sagas common to all the great clans of the Thought Makers."

Slavathras flashes a capacious smile as the diminutive druid Taalik, somewhat grudgingly now it seems to the assembled company, indicates his ascent to the daring proposition. Apparently, he had been prepared to learn more of the behemoth, but was thoroughly nonplussed about being goaded into a binding ritual by the conniving elf. Indeed, it seems evident that the BrahmanaŚauca druid's presumptive enthusiasm for the enigmatic minstrel’s free-wheeling tale of ancient Athas has diminished substantially with the revelation of the proffered oath-taking ritual.

”Excellent, most excellent,” says Slavathras, now 'Mind Shadow' through his glistening smile, ”Now then, let us seal this agreement by the proper oaths.”

Having received the grudging affirmation of the halfling druid, hardly more than a bestial grunt, the elf proceeds to lay his smooth, ivory-fleshed hands upon the altar, each one set respectively in the space before the rough-hew statues by which the elf has determined to invoke the Thought Maker hero twins Sabeccuranus and Emmessanaa. The slick black rock beneath his touch begins to glow with a piercing white illumination, revealing a heretofore concealed crevasse cut into the altar in exactly the shape of a hand.

He then casts his eyes up in a fixed gaze directed towards the face of each long-departed luminary, seeming as if to forget the presence of his ceremonial guests, as the Slavathras begins to speak again, this time in a reverential, prayerful tone, one noticeably deeper than his ordinary intonation,

”By that which bends and breaks, finds and makes, sends and shapes, wends and waits, by that which calls and echoes, signs and portents tremble, by that which is both whole and absent,” and then he begins, in a slightly unnerving, high-pitched tenor, to sing, ”Sabaccarrao, Sebbecrai, Sobasharu, Succranus, Sacborshai, Shya’brak…” and many variations of his ancestor's name, before continuing in a similar list of the luminaries’ forms of address, ”Emsia, Emesya, Kyia Tiya, Khesharah….”

The end of the last name of the ascendant finds a welter of small shinning globules begin to ascend from a geyser positioned above the statue of Sabeccuranus, further up the altar stone. They descend in a stream down a rivulet cut into the rock beneath the statue.

At the same time, a sheet of glistening liquid begins to pour forth from another geyser above the statue of Emmesanna. It likewise steadily descends through a trench carved in the rock.

Both streams terminate in small facets that are directed into a pair of rough flasks that sit upon shelves cut into the black stone.

Slavathras picks up both flasks, then hands the one filled with shining liquid to Taalik, who then recites in a controlled tone, almost masking his annoyance,

”By that which bends and breaks…”

He finishes the oath before the recitation of the shadow lord’s names, as the druid would refuse to tie his oath to the Slavathras' ancestors. Instead, Taalik takes the new name of Emerald Blossom, binding himself to the memories of Athas' departed 'great beasts', including the various behemoth genera whose appearance in the elf's story had so absorbed his attention only a few moments ago.

Simultaneously, the elf recites the same formula while holding the flask with the metallic globules.

Slavathras and Taalik then exchange flasks and each repeat the oaths, and then a third time.

The question of how the others might indicate their ascent is dealt with by Slavathras Mind Shadow, who upon concluding his ritual with Taalik, turns a friendly expression to the rest of the company, the palms of his hands open in a universal gesture of welcome,

“And how shall you swear, friends Rokan, Jimbli, Cae, Ri'Kli'Klek, Hamza, Ehawee, Devapala, Jin, and Tyren?”

Hamza finally steps out of the shadows, adopting his merchant guise. He notes the ritual performed and the oath sworn. He has his reservations however. "While I do not mind swearing myself to this group, my first loyalty is and forever shall be to House Mīnakshi. Know that they command me above and beyond all others."

Hamza finally steps out of the shadows, adopting his merchant guise. He notes the ritual performed and the oath sworn. He has his reservations however. "While I do not mind swearing myself to this group, my first loyalty is and forever shall be to House Mīnakshi. Know that they command me above and beyond all others."

"Yes of course, we will all swear by that which we hold most dear -- I by my ancestors, the druid by the vanished beasts in whose study he has spent his life, you by your the Merchant House Mīnakshi, and so forth. You shall bind yourself by what is most dear to you to your compatriots, and the spirits of the Twelve Champions of Celik shall secure and guard this oath, and punish any transgression."

Tyren suppressed a chuckle at the idea of being held to an oath by a work of fiction, and reminded himself that such was typically the way of the mage. Is this man perhaps a spellcaster? He noted the flare within the local fauna, and determined it was unlikely this man was causing any undue damage with his theatrics, and so let that detail pass by.

"I would hope, good merchant, that we can agree that that it wouldn't be terribly loyal of us to expect you to betray your masters on our account." He smiles over at Hamza, recognizing the voice as one who'd spoken up much earlier, "Or at least, that is the form my loyalty would take. One cannot declare loyalty to those they intend to enslave, after all."

He did, however, step up to the foot of the altar and look up. "So, then, we swear by that which is dear to us, to our companions. Of this I have no particular concern--So, will I be needing that shining flask, then?" Tyren points to the flask that Slavarathas had handed to the druid.

Tyren suppressed a chuckle at the idea of being held to an oath by a work of fiction, and reminded himself that such was typically the way of the mage. Is this man perhaps a spellcaster? He noted the flare within the local fauna, and determined it was unlikely this man was causing any undue damage with his theatrics, and so let that detail pass by.

"I would hope, good merchant, that we can agree that that it wouldn't be terribly loyal of us to expect you to betray your masters on our account." He smiles over at Hamza, recognizing the voice as one who'd spoken up much earlier, "Or at least, that is the form my loyalty would take. One cannot declare loyalty to those they intend to enslave, after all."

He did, however, step up to the foot of the altar and look up. "So, then, we swear by that which is dear to us, to our companions. Of this I have no particular concern--So, will I be needing that shining flask, then?" Tyren points to the flask that Slavarathas had handed to the druid.

"You may, if you wish, also employ these ready means, or any others as seems fit to you."

"In the Court of Submission, it is said that Storm Cloud swore by breaking his childhood training bow over a bent knee, and then burning the remnants with strips of paper inscribed in the queer glyphs of the niitsitapisiksikaitsitapi language. Some observers witnessed the flames adopt an unnatural, rainbow hue as they ascended into the heat of the midday air. Thus he swore this oath by the spirits of the endless plains from which he traveled to the markets of Celik."

"Skull Snapper ran a metal chord woven with thorns through his manhood and his tongue. He then dabbed the blood which he had drawn onto a lotus blossom and a small plinth, representing the male and female virtues. Thus did the famed combatant swear by his potency among the Great Harem of his liege, as well as the promise of future progeny that he should not shirk his bargains once they had been agreed."

"Shivers summoned made his oath before the mysterious powers of dream and terror from which the psychic drew his might, the gathered phantoms observing and approving the compact. The crowd recoiled in terror at his invocation, for terrible were the powers by which Shivers bound his honor to his confederates among the Twelve Champions of Celik."

Hmmm...To what could I swear by? Tyren tapped his chin a moment, then nodded. From his backpack, the wood-carved skeletal arms flipped open his pack and retrieved from it a tome. It had no name, merely a rendition of Athas as the back of a skull, mounted on the still-living body of a titan whose hand held the sun and whose skin was ablaze. He placed the book on the floor before himself and then pulled out his flint and steel, clearing the area of any scant flammable matter. Once the area was clear, Tyren lit the book ablaze and stood.

Tyren's tone, too, began his oath with deep bass notes. To accompany this, the skeletal arms once more began plucking strings from the lute. "By that which bends and breaks, finds and makes, sends and shapes, wends and waits, by that which calls and echoes, signs and portents tremble, by that which is both whole and absent, He continued, now swearing by the heroes who saved him and scholars who taught him. Finally, as Tyren had decided previously, he took the name Bone Eye, binding himself to the first group of people to accept his origins, and to his duty as a seeker of knowledge.

Several emotions battle each other in Cae's expression. Eventually, confusion wins out.

"You ask us to take an oath,
Silly and mad, this is both.
We hardly know each other,
My pledge belongs to another.
Should everyone here be bound,
To stay until she is found?"

The side conversation about the Blue Age is difficult for Jin to follow. It's almost as if the kreen is some kind of holdover from it, with no knowledge of anything that came afterwards. But that would be obviously crazy, so clearly, she must be misunderstanding something. She hides her confusion behind a polite smile and focuses on the bard's tale.

Did you bring that animal for food? she points at the wolf.

"Well- ah. Hmmmmm."

Jin stares thoughtfully at the ceiling for a moment.

"To begin with, I've given Gu so many exotic alchemical elixirs, linaments, and treatments that I'm reasonably sure anyone who attempted to eat him would...dissolve? Or explode, quite possibly.

That's if they managed. I've seen his pelt turn a thrust from a half-giant's steel spear, and the third vice-master of Kalak's academy of the Way spent nine months crippled by anxiety after an encounter with her psychic might. She is a useful companion, a loyal friend, and one of the greatest triumphs of alchemy in the history of Athas."

-----

As the conflict about interruptions to Slavathras' story plays out, Jin is careful to leave herself altogether out of it. Without experience with how this group ticks, it's difficult to distinguish play-fights from true vitriol, and she has no desire to alienate anyone by appearing to take sides in a long-simmering dispute. When it finally concludes, she masks her increasing unease with another placid smile.

It looks like I'm not getting out of this without making some sort of mystically-enforceable loyalty oath. Wonderful. I'll have to make the best of it, and lay some cards on the table that I've kept to my chest...

"An interesting tale, and one I hadn't heard. But tradition attributes several key methods and pieces of apparatus for fermentation and distillation to Basalm, and a rhyming set of principles for handling contact poisons to Venom Kiss. If both are one and the same, that is a fascinating footnote to the history of my own profession, and I would be honored to join a fellowship overseen by the spirit of such a figure. I am sometimes known by the name Viper of the Wastes- use that."

"You would have me swear an oath with this lot of strangers, most of them who didn't even pass any test of loyalty or character before?"

"Silly and mad, this is both.

We hardly know each other..."

"It is precisely for such motley groups that such things are required to unite them. Had you known me since birth and trusted me as a bosom friend, would you need an oath?

I will swear it, if you will answer only two questions. Firstly, what is this esteemed group of companions to save Athas from? And secondly, are any of you slavers or slave-owners? For it is on my undying hatred of them I will swear, and no matter what Basalm's spirit will do to me afterwards, I mean to ensure that all such men die screaming."

Ri'Kli'Klek is silent for a long moment, unmoving beneath Cae's touch, then suddenly he shakes himself and stands.

"It is unseemly for me to be thus affected," he states, flatly. "I knew when I slept that it would be long before I awoke. It is enough that the Six Fingers and the Red God have not yet been awoken."

He turns to Slavathras. "I will swear to aid this group in leaving these tombs, but beyond that my loyalty lies in making certain that which sleeps here never awakens."

The side conversation about the Blue Age is difficult for Jin to follow. It's almost as if the kreen is some kind of holdover from it, with no knowledge of anything that came afterwards. But that would be obviously crazy, so clearly, she must be misunderstanding something. She hides her confusion behind a polite smile and focuses on the bard's tale.

Amunet-Ra wrote:

Did you bring that animal for food? she points at the wolf.

"Well- ah. Hmmmmm."

Jin stares thoughtfully at the ceiling for a moment.

"To begin with, I've given Gu so many exotic alchemical elixirs, linaments, and treatments that I'm reasonably sure anyone who attempted to eat him would...dissolve? Or explode, quite possibly.

That's if they managed. I've seen his pelt turn a thrust from a half-giant's steel spear, and the third vice-master of Kalak's academy of the Way spent nine months crippled by anxiety after an encounter with her psychic might. She is a useful companion, a loyal friend, and one of the greatest triumphs of alchemy in the history of Athas."

-----

As the conflict about interruptions to Slavathras' story plays out, Jin is careful to leave herself altogether out of it. Without experience with how this group ticks, it's difficult to distinguish play-fights from true vitriol, and she has no desire to alienate anyone by appearing to take sides in a long-simmering dispute. When it finally concludes, she masks her increasing unease with another placid smile.

It looks like I'm not getting out of this without making some sort of mystically-enforceable loyalty oath. Wonderful. I'll have to make the best of it, and lay some cards on the table that I've kept to my chest...

"An interesting tale, and one I hadn't heard. But tradition attributes several key methods and pieces of apparatus for fermentation and distillation to Basalm, and a rhyming set of principles for handling contact poisons to Venom Kiss. If both are one and the same, that is a...

"Just as the Twelve Champions of Kalidnay pledged themselves, one to another, each by what they held most sacred, in service of one common task -- the reclamation of Oscalgarum and its famed white apples, so too shall we swear, one to another, each by that which we alone hold most near and dear, to this shared endeavor--"

"To close shut and bar the sorcerer-queen Kalid-Ma's Great Orrery, the black gate which hangs pendulously above these ruins, summoning untold horrors from the lightless voids between the stars, and which threatens the future of all our lands."

"In this most urgent task, we must prevent the dray servants of Dregoth from seizing its power for their own fell ends. For surely on this errand has the lord of the City by the Silt Sea dispatched his servants to the ruins of Kalidnay."

After musing over the question posed before her, she offers forth gently " But what will be the end after that? Will this bring the rains back as it should, or create more issues we have not for-seen? There are still many questions, and yet, if it is what we need to do to stop the plague on our land.... I say we must. Even if we can not agree on the powers afterwards, it would be one step forward in this lost desert we call home."

Rokan listens as the bard continues his tale. With this first reaction he thought it would continue further, but now it seems the story has settled on the pact of the twelve, and with his own companions reflecting it by picking a name and joining a new one. He nods at Amunet's prodding of the group.

There is little unique that I hold dear to swear on. I was destitute in Tyr. I had a teacher of The Way who cared for a time before his demise. Now I simply walk the tablelands, looking for true freedom where it can be sowed and cultivated.

He ponders a bit longer.

I shall take the name Wandering Fist in joining this pact.

After musing over the question posed before her, she offers forth gently " But what will be the end after that? Will this bring the rains back as it should, or create more issues we have not for-seen? There are still many questions, and yet, if it is what we need to do to stop the plague on our land.... I say we must. Even if we can not agree on the powers afterwards, it would be one step forward in this lost desert we call home."

The mysterious elf smiles a slightly unsettling rictus grin, revealing peculiarly large incisors,

"Mortals may not know the ends or means of fate, and the circumstances in which we find ourselves upon the closure of the Great Orrery lie beyond the horizon of our present knowledge."

"In the fullness of happenstance, we shall, I am sure, have opportunity to reflect upon the later course of our compact."

Rokan listens as the bard continues his tale. With this first reaction he thought it would continue further, but now it seems the story has settled on the pact of the twelve, and with his own companions reflecting it by picking a name and joining a new one. He nods at Amunet's prodding of the group.

There is little unique that I hold dear to swear on. I was destitute in Tyr. I had a teacher of The Way who cared for a time before his demise. Now I simply walk the tablelands, looking for true freedom where it can be sowed and cultivated.

He ponders a bit longer.

I shall take the name Wandering Fist in joining this pact.

"And yet you have not sworn, Rokan of the Free City of Tyr -- if you must swear upon the limitless expanse of the Void, but swear you must to seal your name within this bargain of many guarantors."

Nobody here is a slave owner or slaver to my knowledge, Jin En Mok, you can rest assured. It is also uncommon for elves to own slaves.

Interesting choice of names...Tyren - Bone Eye, Jin En Mok - Viper of the Wastes, Roken - Wandering Fist, Slavathras - Shadowed Mind. I like it.

She herself steps forward, straightening her body - for an elf probably small, but with ~6.5 feet still quite tall - and she begins to sing with a melodic voice.
By that which bends and breaks, finds and makes, sends and shapes, wends and waits, by that which calls and echoes, signs and portents tremble, by that which is both whole and absent, by the blazing sun on the hot sands, by the endless stars in the night sky, by the hot and cool winds in the open deserts, by the jagged cliffs and the height of the mountains, by the dark caves and their depths, by the life and water in between, by my tribe and our traditions, i swear this oath to protect our freedom and this world.

My name in this pact will be....
Amunet-Ra falls silent for a moment, considering her new name, an important decision.

Ri'Kli'Klek's gaze snaps to Slavathras at the mention of this 'Great Orrery'.

"Then let me be Swift Stillness," he states, suddenly running up to the altar and placing his lower-left hand upon it. "I swear by all I have sacrificed, my home, my time, all I knew, that I shall work with these to destroy this threat to life upon Athas."

Rokan the Ascetic wrote:

Rokan listens as the bard continues his tale. With this first reaction he thought it would continue further, but now it seems the story has settled on the pact of the twelve, and with his own companions reflecting it by picking a name and joining a new one. He nods at Amunet's prodding of the group.

There is little unique that I hold dear to swear on. I was destitute in Tyr. I had a teacher of The Way who cared for a time before his demise. Now I simply walk the tablelands, looking for true freedom where it can be sowed and cultivated.

He ponders a bit longer.

I shall take the name Wandering Fist in joining this pact.

"And yet you have not sworn, Rokan of the Free City of Tyr -- if you must swear upon the limitless expanse of the Void, but swear you must to seal your name within this bargain of many guarantors."

Indeed. I suppose to didn't truly execute the pact. Very well then, I swear upon the tradition of The Way, and the struggle for freedom within the tablelands, to this oath to protect Athas.

"It is precisely for such motley groups that such things are required to unite them. Had you known me since birth and trusted me as a bosom friend, would you need an oath?"

Cae gives Slavathras a significant look.

"...And secondly, are any of you slavers or slave-owners? For it is on my undying hatred of them I will swear, and no matter what Basalm's spirit will do to me afterwards, I mean to ensure that all such men die screaming."

Despite the musical tone to his voice, Cae presents his questions without an excess of emotion.

Jin En Mok wrote:

"It is precisely for such motley groups that such things are required to unite them. Had you known me since birth and trusted me as a bosom friend, would you need an oath?"

"It seems to be a most peculiar view,
That there is nothing between the two,
Lifelong friend or total stranger.
But I believe there is great danger,
In trusting one who offers smiles,
But secretly is one who defiles.
Who might ask for such a harsh pact
But one hiding dark secrets in fact?"

Cae gives Slavathras a significant look.

Jin En Mok wrote:

"...And secondly, are any of you slavers or slave-owners? For it is on my undying hatred of them I will swear, and no matter what Basalm's spirit will do to me afterwards, I mean to ensure that all such men die screaming."

"You end the lives of those who own slaves,
Such is the Mistress I seek in these caves.
To be owned by her fills me with pride,
And I intend to soon be by her side.
How might I fulfill the oath proposed,
When we are doomed to be opposed?
Unless before I make such a vow,
You think I should end your quest now?"

Despite the musical tone to his voice, Cae presents his questions without an excess of emotion.

The strange elf replies to Cae's rhyming insinuation about the sinister source of his arcane prowess with a snarl,

"What incredible presumption on your part, little pup! You clearly know nothing of the arcane arts to accuse me so -- the source of my powers are not the same dark energies as those wielder by Rajaat's Champions. They have their source in a older, and subtler font of occult might."

This is one of the reasons I'm working on the magic systems in the discussion page. Slavathras has shadow powers, and I want that to be distinct from Defiling. There are several characters that are going to be drawing upon this form of magic in the campaign.

The Secret History of Celik -- Part I

Long ago, before the devastations of the Cleansing Wars, the now-ruined metropolis of Celik began its life as Pleiadesean colony of Isarnan. The Pleidasean invasion fleets who had sailed across a blue gulf from lands where, legends say, 'merchants ruled as kings', and quickly subjugated the resident Tarhuntassa and Aeneaseidean populations of ancient Balic. Surviving accounts of the periods, though naturally heavily biased towards the viewpoint of the invaders, are almost certainly accurate in their depiction of the overwhelming victory achieved by the vast legions of the Plediadesean heavily-armored helots and relentless fuselage of nigh-unquenchable alchemical fire, which speedily delivered the natives into the hands of their new overlords from across the sea.

However, the satisfaction of the Pleiadesean merchant lords was short lived, and just as the least among their number had migrated across the dark waters of the ocean to seek their fortune in the west, so a number of the lesser houses resolved to ply their fate deeper along the Estuary of the Forked Tongue.

One fleet under the command of the Tyrant Isarnan sailed south, and established a colony named after its leader along a deep harbor. The colony of Isarnan was famed for its great triple walls, which were widely reputed to be impenetrable... that is, until the coming of the Qirgünqüq Qazaqliq horde, who conquered Celik under the leadership of their Kakaɣan Yagmur Khuban.

The Secret History of Celik -- Part II

It is known that the vast Qirgunquq Qazaqliq horse archer armies of the Kakagan or 'Great Khan' Yagmur Khuban originated in lands far to the south and east of the tablelands, north of the sea of grass known as the Áwahsini Ko'komíki'somma, the Plains of the Moon, and near the home territories of the closely related tribes known as the Temujin, by whose power Abalach-Re conquered the city-state of Raam. The latter is more properly known as the Huuchidchuud Khamag.

The Qirgunquq Qazaqliq poured forth out of the wastes, their Kagan lead by the visions of his seer daughter Esmeray, who would one day be named sultan. They approached the great triple walls of Isarnan with a vast host, many riding the so-called 'thunder beasts', immense creatures of burden that resembled a rhinoceros, and of whom only a few examples remain in the Living City of Celik, a remnant of the settlement's former glory...

Jimbli sits.. hovering cross-legged. His eyes scan the exits for threats.
"I joined to repay my debt to those who freed me from the Dray. And it to those I would swear an oath without reservation."

"It is the growth in my abilities which drives me now. I do have a goal beyond repayment.. the implementation of which has nothing to do with any of you or Athas in general, but with my growing ability to travel the planes."
After a deep breath and two seconds of contemplation. "I will swear an oath."

"Until this oath is broken, I do pledge on the souls of the dead I honor... I will use my abilities to the fullest to assist however I am able, and aid in the fight against whatever may seek violence against us."

He smiles to himself, and adds. "I am.. the Bladed Wisp." He stands and takes a bow.

The Secret History of Celik -- Part III

The forces of the Kakagan or 'Great Khan' Yagmur Khuban, his vast legions of horse archers, the elite 'thunder beast' riders with their fearsome 'fire lances', which could spray a stream a fire in the manner of fire drakes across the field of combat, the circle of blood-letting sun magi which advised the Kakagan, the janissaries who commandeered the martialed cannonade of their liege, monstrous allies of the Qirgunquq Qazaqliq from the Endless Steppe -- tarek mercenaries and others, all converged on the formidable fortification of Isnarn known as the Gate of Bagration. From its lofty turrets, the Pleiadesean helots hurled alchemical fire and other bombards onto the many rows of trenches in which their assailants had arrayed the vast legions of the Qirgunquq Qazaqliq Kakagan.

Jin nods at Cae.

"I once spent three months posing as a defiler's apprentice, patiently waiting until the minuscule amount of poison that I was able to slip into his meal each evening had built up in his bones and doomed him. I would not call myself intimately familiar with the methods of defilers, but this fellow's magic does not at all match the style of Kazem Saleh of Tyr, nor of the dozen or so I've observed to cast in passing."

She turns back to Slavathras.

"By arsenic and antimony, by hemlock and belladona, by vitriol and lye- by the tools of the vocation which lifted me from wretchedness and gave me the strength to kill my captors, and by the hatred for their kind that will burn within my breast until my bones bleach in the sun- the Viper of the Wastes swears to aid these companions in surviving these ruins, in laying waste to the ancient works of Kalid-Ma, in defeating the dray who seek to take them for their own, and in the course of any challenges that arise in the course of that mission."

It's a curious invocation, but she says it seriously- even reverently.

So after swearing literal undying vengeance against slave owners, Jin just totally ignores Cae saying that not only is he a slave, but enjoys being one, and defends his mistress?? Wut huh?

"Well," reflects the elf, apparently dispassionately, "our rhyming friend's consideration of his bondage may be marked to the differing dispositions of servants between his native city-state and that which until recently applied to the indentured class of Tyr. For you see, in Balic, you see, the class of doulos, or servant is not identical in harshness to the category of mustaebad bial'aemal alshshaqa, which comprised the majority, though not entirety, of Tyr's unfree population. The latter were not considered as part of the owner's extended family, nor, most significantly, were they eligible for citizenship or abolition. Most were composed of non-Tyrians enslaved by Kalak's legions of blood-iron wielding soldiers and the terrifying 'titans', the tusked war beasts of the dead sorcerer-king. Having no native connection to their masters, they were considered outside the social life of Tyr and were worked mercilessly on the great monuments of Kalak, most significantly his immense pyramid, which still hovers over the heart of the metropolis."

"Indeed," continues the elf, "the Tarḫuntašša, which, unless I miss my guess, Cae is a representative, are considered as to exotic pets by their elite Pleiadesean masters. A doulos such as Cae would be a bond-mage, a vizier, a bed companion, or some similarly more distinct and elevated role than the abused masses of the mustaebad bial'aemal alshshaqa, bled to death and warped beyond recognition by defiling magic to erect Kalak's cold obelisks."

"The elf speaks truly. The seers and sibyls of the Tarḫuntašša are famed within the annals of the BrahmanaŚauca -- especially those of the Cult of Mitra who revere the ancient leonid spirits of the Smoking Crown Mountains that surround the city of Balic."

Listening to Slavathras and Taalik trying to remedy the tension between the Tyrians and others, Amunet-Ra smirks.
This is what this all is about? A pet lover searching his mistress? Love is a good reason to go on such a quest. If you act voluntary I can accept your tribes customs Cae. City dwellers are always special anyway.

After a short pause she adds :
Mh I can imagine you singing poems to your mistress. Maybe I need to test your entertainment skills one night.

So after swearing literal undying vengeance against slave owners, Jin just totally ignores Cae saying that not only is he a slave, but enjoys being one, and defends his mistress?? Wut huh?

Oops. I find Cae's verse slightly difficult to follow, and I missed that altogether. Sorry about that. Let's see, how to do this in a way that fits her character and is still gameable...

Jin frowns thoughtfully, then slowly, reluctantly, nods.

"Kidnappers and slave traders, mul breeders and merchant princes: there are plenty more deserving targets, more than I could ever hope to get to in one lifetime. One slaveowner? She can live, if that's the price of your trust."

Are we almost ready to move on? Devapala hasn't posted in a week, so I feel like we shouldn't keep waiting. There are a couple of options I can see: my first idea was to have your critters clear the way to the last encounter, the huge room at the end of the complex with the tomb of the Keymaster, as well as the item the Serpent Singer Dreadseer Anubisemonekh wanted you to obtain, and the exit out of the mortuaries. You can also go ahead an clear the way yourselves after you rest. I assume we want to move into the ruins proper?

It's going to take me some time to get my familiar ready. Haven't had a chance to work on it due to IRL and other game responsibilities, though I do know the general build.

Let's just keep doing some RP stuff then to keep the game thread moving.

Hamza Mīnakshi wrote:

So after swearing literal undying vengeance against slave owners, Jin just totally ignores Cae saying that not only is he a slave, but enjoys being one, and defends his mistress?? Wut huh?

Oops. I find Cae's verse slightly difficult to follow, and I missed that altogether. Sorry about that. Let's see, how to do this in a way that fits her character and is still gameable...

Jin frowns thoughtfully, then slowly, reluctantly, nods.

"Kidnappers and slave traders, mul breeders and merchant princes: there are plenty more deserving targets, more than I could ever hope to get to in one lifetime. One slaveowner? She can live, if that's the price of your trust."

"Just splendid then, know we can all formulate an appropriate plan of action."

Slavathras turns to Amunet-Ra,

"Sister-runner, since I believe you and your fellow desert-dweller" he here juts his sharp chin in the direction of Ehawee "are the only other soul to have set foot in the ruins above in the course of your excursions to the glass gardens in the abandoned Elven Market of Kalidnay, I suppose we may lead the discussion."

"As our friend Cae intuited upon our entry, and we have confirmed through the inspection of several hieroglyphic inscriptions therein (this was a while ago, but happened), the Tomb of the Master of the Keys contains a route by which we may reach the ruins of Kalidnay. I ween that the termination of this exit will be the shores of the Lake of Doom, which are near the center of the ruins."

"On the shores of the Lake of Doom is the Citadel of the High Templar Ahmun-Ahnupur, also known as the Scarab Hold. It overlooks the Plaza of Power and the Grand Processional, the latter a broad thoroughfare which leads to the Court of Destiny, where the Pyramid of the Great Mother, the Pyramid of the Sleeping Father, and the Pyramid of the Great Falcon cast long shadows over the remains of Kalidnay."

"As Rokan will well remember from our audience with Dregoth's exiled apprentice Faalcuun in the Pavilion of Mercy before the commencement of this expedition, the Great Orrery is but a part of the psionic defense system which permeates the city."

"The question, then, is what stratagem offers the most efficacious means to our ends."

These are the relevant quotes from Faalcuun's seneschal Nalcaros and Slavathras about the Great Orrery for those who weren't present for the conversation.

"Very well, Faalcuun cares not who undertakes this important venture, so long as its aims are accomplished. He will offer his benediction to you as well, to strengthen you for your task."

"As to your mission -- the Great Orrery must be closed to prevent the ingress of hostile powers to Athas. The bard speaks the truth, in that the Dragon of Tyr himself, the invincible Borys, as well as Dregoth, Hamanu the Lion or Urik, and the Shadow King Nibenay, at the very least, have dispatched forces that will arrive in the next few days to seek an advantage in the unfolding crisis. If they are able, they will use the device to obtain a 'greater seed' from one of the worlds accessible through the gates."

"The sorcerer-queen's presence forbids my master from entering the city, for she requires a new body of sufficient power to contain her terrible mind. Your more limited vessels will not tempt her possession, and so you may pass within the domain of the Orrery without fear, treading where my master may not."

"The Great Orrery consists of two halves -- the skein and the circlets."

"The first, the skein, is the network of obsidian orbs which you witnessed in operation -- they number in the thousands, if not millions, and are housed in a central reservoir far, far below the city when not active."

"Moreover, they are of several degrees, with some orbs containing greater minds than others -- and are under the ultimate aegis of the Orbs of Kalid-Ma, a pentad of the most powerful such spheres, the greatest of which houses the disembodied mind of the defeated sorcerer-queen herself."

"The latter component are the circlets, a number of ring-shaped passages to other lands and worlds which are opened by the power of the skein."

"The power of the skein is channeled through a group of five pylons spaced equidistantly throughout the city, with the central spire rising from the Temple of the Great Mother, in whose depths the sorcerer-queen once made her dwelling. Far, far beneath this structure lies the reservoir in which the greater mass of the orbs which comprise the skein are collected. Further, each of the pylons contains the key to awakening and subduing one of the Orbs of Kalid-Ma. The four lesser pylons must be deactivated before the central plinth within the temple may be approached and returned to dormancy."

"The operations of the gate are significant but focused, for when the skein opens a gate, it cannot maintain the sphere wall around the perimeter of the city, which accounts for the success of the other sorcerer-kings in their ancient assault on Kalid-Ma -- for they attacked when she had opened the gate to the world which held one of the greater seeds."

"However, now that the gate has closed, the only way to enter the city is through the Great War Gate, or, it is rumored, through a network of underground corridors. Otherwise, you must wait until the device begins to operate once again, perhaps unleashing even greater terrors."

"As my master has explained, the Orrery extends its reach further and further with each revolution -- the next concordance when it opens anew will doubtless bring some new power from beyond the dark barrier with which Rajaat's celestial champions encased the system surrounding Athas' crimson sun."

"In return for your aid, Faalcuun the Mighty will strengthen you with the power of the Pavilion, and also offer much-needed intelligence for your quest to restore the power of House Vordon in Kelmarane. The gnolls who now rule the trading post are no mere tribe, and are guided by a greater malevolence whose overthrow will only be accomplished with the intelligence my master is able to supply."

The strange elf interjects once again,

"Even as I accept the necessity of this venture, our company is face with a forked path, each prong of which is treacherous. Nalcaros has both understated and obscured the different perils of each approach to Kalidnay, doubtless on account of a lack of personal familiarity with the ruins, having only a knowledge of their confines based on reports of others, including mine own recollections of previous ingresses into their depths."

"The difficulty is this -- the entrance via the Great Gate of Battle is the most direct. On my previous ventures into the city, the Great Orrery was not operational, and thus I approached by one of the less conspicuous corners of the ruins. However, now that the skein has re-established a semi-permanent barrier around Kalidnay, that remains our main potential route of approach."

"Doubtless, it will be guarded by some force within the ruins, for it offers the only possible egress from the city when the sphere wall is activated. Furthermore, it will be watched closely, and any potential surprise we might enjoy will be entirely relinquished -- not only those who hold the gate, but also any other interested parties will immediately take note of our arrival."

"My knowledge of the structure is limited to its exterior profile -- a massive block of granite with a narrow tunnel running through the center, certainly guarded by several gates and sentinel posts. Effecting an unwanted entry will be difficult, but perhaps we can prepare a suitable strategy to achieve our aims..."

"The other way I know even less well, for I largely, and intentionally, avoided the under works of the city. Kalidnay was built atop a subterranean city founded by servants of the Stoneburners. The black pool at the center of the ruins was once an open rift which formed the center of a vast settlement, larger by several orders of magnitude than the later city of the sorcerer-queen. Given its immense dimensions, it is unsurprising that the under works extend far beyond the terrestrial borders of Kalidnay, as presently established by the sphere wall."

"There are several avenues of approach in the caves which riddle the dunes that surround the city, and the vast network of tunnels eventually finds its nadir in the Womb of Midnight, the reservoir which Nalcaros mentioned that holds the dormant obsidian spheres of the skein."

"I must warn you that I had report that an unknown power has arisen from the deep places of Athas, and taken residence within the tunnels beneath the city, perhaps hoping themselves to seize the power of the ancient artifact. Whatever the case may be, we will almost certainly run afoul of whatever sinister agency has arisen from the twisting tunnels which connect the under works with the subterranean realms of the Tablelands."

"And so the choice remains before us -- I can offer additional insight if any of my fine companions should nurse any relevant inquires that might weigh upon our common decision in this matter."

Slavathras purses his violet lips slightly in consternation, clearly chagrined that both Pak'cha the thri-kreen and Kethe the dwarf have colluded to reject the bard's attempt to strategically steer them towards an above-ground approach, one where his companions could more easily be employed as expendable shields of flesh. Judging both by the attitude of recognition and resignation now evident in his attentive eyes and restrained grimace, he increasingly realizes now that his new companions will not be so easily manipulated as were a number of previous unfortunate fellow-travelers. Indeed, the entire business has suddenly become much more complicated, and potentially lethal for his own person, than the scheming elf had intended,

He begins again, slowly, speaking in a measured tone as Slavathras attempts to cautiously 'thread the needle eye' of this new, unexpected course of action,

"Very well... the under-works of the city are vast, but there are a number of entrances, the chief one of which I am aware terminates on mountainous heights on the eastern approach, the summit of which over looks the Lake of Doom and the Temple of the Great Mother, where, as the Lawkeeper's emissary indicated, the Great Pylon, the so-called Mother of Talons, rises from the midst of Kalid-Ma's former residence."

"These mountains are riddled with abandoned mines, tunnels which connect with the structures of the earlier Stoneburner settlement I mentioned. The mines were a vicious institution, a vast open-aired pit the sides of which offered access to significant diamond veins. The narrow tunnels were slowly excavated by criminals and those who had, for whatever reason, fallen afoul of the sorcerer-queen's displeasure."

"We might be able to enter though the subterranean diamond-cutting factory known as the Riese, where the chambers of are of sufficient size to maneuver easily, and which housed the communal chambers of both the unfortunate workers and their overseers, including the shrine of Kalid-Ma to which they were forced daily to pray and sacrifice."

"As Rokan will well remember from our audience with Dregoth's exiled apprentice Faalcuun in the Pavilion of Mercy before the commencement of this expedition, the Great Orrery is but a part of the psionic defense system which permeates the city."

Rokan winces subtly as the mention causes him to remember the grotesque form of Faalcuun. He quickly collects himself and nods at the elven bard.

Indeed, and they are powered by five pylons rising from the city. The greatest of these is located in the center, and cannot be subverted before the lesser four are deactivated. We were on our way into the ruins of Kalidnay when it was determined that we needed to visit the Serpent Singers to obtain a means of detecting the Dray. All this to deal with a known lethal threat, to avoid unknown threats arriving from distant worlds accessed via gate, which Kalid-Ma utilized to retrieve a "greater seed."

He shakes his head as he finishes his summarizing thoughts, letting his mind stray to oft personally-held musings.

The sorcerer kings and queens are so willing to speed unlimited and wanton destruction to achieve their goals, I'm unsure of what they believe would be left to rule over if any of their total aims were achieved...

Cae patiently watches as each person takes the oath, pledging not only for different reasons, but with differing goals.

He feels sadness for Ri'Kli'Klek's loss and desperation.

He is confused by Jimbli's trouble with traveling the plains.
"Running on the plains can be done,
Even under the blazing sun.
One must drink enough water
As the day waxes hotter."

A low growl escapes him, warning Taalik about speaking of the Order of Mitra. The dwarf might bring great misfortune on himself if he has not been indoctrinated.

Cae is amused by Amunet-Ra's teasing and returns a playful smile and a very different kind of growl.

Addressing the general discussion:
"To see this group out of the tomb,
Helping each to avoid your doom,
Excepting the safety of me and mine,
For as long as our goals align,
Good sense and past oaths I swore,
Prevent me from offering more."

Finally, looking to Hamza, he asks the stranger's opinion:
"And what say you, Shadow Master,
Fair winds or natural disaster?"

Slavathras of the Deadlands wrote:

"As Rokan will well remember from our audience with Dregoth's exiled apprentice Faalcuun in the Pavilion of Mercy before the commencement of this expedition, the Great Orrery is but a part of the psionic defense system which permeates the city."

Rokan winces subtly as the mention causes him to remember the grotesque form of Faalcuun. He quickly collects himself and nods at the elven bard.

Indeed, and they are powered by five pylons rising from the city. The greatest of these is located in the center, and cannot be subverted before the lesser four are deactivated. We were on our way into the ruins of Kalidnay when it was determined that we needed to visit the Serpent Singers to obtain a means of detecting the Dray. All this to deal with a known lethal threat, to avoid unknown threats arriving from distant worlds accessed via gate, which Kalid-Ma utilized to retrieve a "greater seed."

He shakes his head as he finishes his summarizing thoughts, letting his mind stray to oft personally-held musings.

The sorcerer kings and queens are so willing to speed unlimited and wanton destruction to achieve their goals, I'm unsure of what they believe would be left to rule over if any of their total aims were achieved...

"One of these 'talons' is located in the Scarab Hold of the High Templar Ahmun-Ahnpur. That should be our first objective once we emerge from these twisted mazes."

Cae patiently watches as each person takes the oath, pledging not only for different reasons, but with differing goals.

He feels sadness for Ri'Kli'Klek's loss and desperation.

He is confused by Jimbli's trouble with traveling the plains.
"Running on the plains can be done,
Even under the blazing sun.
One must drink enough water
As the day waxes hotter."

A low growl escapes him, warning Taalik about speaking of the Order of Mitra. The dwarf might bring great misfortune on himself if he has not been indoctrinated.

Cae is amused by Amunet-Ra's teasing and returns a playful smile and a very different kind of growl.

Addressing the general discussion:
"To see this group out of the tomb,
Helping each to avoid your doom,
Excepting the safety of me and mine,
For as long as our goals align,
Good sense and past oaths I swore,
Prevent me from offering more."

Finally, looking to Hamza, he asks the stranger's opinion:
"And what say you, Shadow Master,
Fair winds or natural disaster?"

The druid Taalik is a halfling, not a dwarf.

The elf sniffs, rolling his eyes dramatically as he replies,

"Well, that certainly took long enough to eventuate!"

The party's rest period proceeds uneventfully, the heavy weight of exhaustion quickly bearing them to a deep slumber...

Several hours later, they awake, fully rested, but still eerily shrouded within miles of stone beneath the kaleidoscopic massif of the Rainbow Rise, the multi-colored mountains within which these tombs were carved in a distant, previous age.

Their surroundings have not change -- a large, roughly-hewn, cavern of about seventy five paces in length and breadth, and of likewise similar height. Its walls are draped with bio luminescent lichen of deep purple and bright green shade, which together coat the rough sides of the cavern in an eerie natural tapestry.

The center of the chamber contains the jagged, roughly round hole through which the company ascended into these caverns.

The cavern's walls are pierced by a pentad of evident points of egress. Each of the cardinal directions contains a large exit, and two of these exits are stacked, one atop the other, with the superior opening divided from the inferior by a small ledge which juts out of the rough walls.

The map is in the slides, and I've explained a couple of times above where it is and how the slides relate to each other.

"Well, Company of the Broken Tablet, it is time to proceed. Shall we throw bones to determine our way, or does one of you have a direction in mind?

Hamza nods to Cae, "Close, but not quite." He twirls his hand, and suddenly, a shadowy duplicate of the flask the others have used springs into being.

He swears in his own manner "So long as your purposes and goals align with that of myself and House Mīnakshi, I swear to eliminate any who dare oppose us and seek to bring further ruin to Athas and it's mighty cities. So swears Death's Shadow."

Indeed, retrieving the artifact the elders requested should be the first priority for all of you now.

She looks at the newcomers.
Even if you didn't meet them yet or weren't there, i extend this quest to you. Thereby you are granted the hospitality of the Serpent Singers and may tread these lands, probably leave them alive as well, so long as you stay true and loyal.

After that is achieved i will help you deal with these dray. It sounds like you need a firm hand, swift feet and a cunning mind to teach them a lesson.

Indeed, retrieving the artifact the elders requested should be the first priority for all of you now.

She looks at the newcomers.
Even if you didn't meet them yet or weren't there, i extend this quest to you. Thereby you are granted the hospitality of the Serpent Singers and may tread these lands, probably leave them alive as well, so long as you stay true and loyal.

After that is achieved i will help you deal with these dray. It sounds like you need a firm hand, swift feet and a cunning mind to teach them a lesson.

The elf known as Slavathras of the Deadlands, Silan Tilak of the Tribe of the Thought Makers (or, to their detractors, the Mind Stealers), and, most recently, Mind Shadow chuckles slightly as he replies to Amunet of the Serpent Singer Tribe,

"Aye, these city dwellers are often in need of such, are they not, sister-runner?"

I'm re-posting the mission details that everyone agreed to with Anubisemonekeh the Dreadseer of the Serpent Singers about a year ago in real time.

Cutting and pasting fluff from another iteration of this game so I can have access to it. This is the back story of the two Tyrian characters.